See, polarizing.

 

And to me that looks like the basic massing and functional aspects of a hotel reduced to their most basic form. And I like that. Nothing frilly or ornamental in any way. Which we need in this city. Too much new architecture is concerned with featuring elements from "historic" or "old" architecture which makes no sense for a neighborhood built in the 2010s elevated on top of a parking garage next to one of the most modern parks in the country. We need more modern architecture here. Throughout history Cincinnati had prime examples of what was most modern at the time (Roebling Bridge, Carew, Terrace Plaza, the CAC, etc.) and we should embrace that progressive view of architectural design that makes up our history as a city.

See, polarizing.

 

And to me that looks like the basic massing and functional aspects of a hotel reduced to their most basic form. And I like that. Nothing frilly or ornamental in any way. Which we need in this city. Too much new architecture is concerned with featuring elements from "historic" or "old" architecture which makes no sense for a neighborhood built in the 2010s elevated on top of a parking garage next to one of the most modern parks in the country. We need more modern architecture here. Throughout history Cincinnati had prime examples of what was most modern at the time (Roebling Bridge, Carew, Terrace Plaza, the CAC, etc.) and we should embrace that progressive view of architectural design that makes up our history as a city.

See, polarizing.

 

And to me that looks like the basic massing and functional aspects of a hotel reduced to their most basic form. And I like that. Nothing frilly or ornamental in any way. Which we need in this city. Too much new architecture is concerned with featuring elements from "historic" or "old" architecture which makes no sense for a neighborhood built in the 2010s elevated on top of a parking garage next to one of the most modern parks in the country. We need more modern architecture here. Throughout history Cincinnati had prime examples of what was most modern at the time (Roebling Bridge, Carew, Terrace Plaza, the CAC, etc.) and we should embrace that progressive view of architectural design that makes up our history as a city.

See, polarizing.

 

And to me that looks like the basic massing and functional aspects of a hotel reduced to their most basic form. And I like that. Nothing frilly or ornamental in any way. Which we need in this city. Too much new architecture is concerned with featuring elements from "historic" or "old" architecture which makes no sense for a neighborhood built in the 2010s elevated on top of a parking garage next to one of the most modern parks in the country. We need more modern architecture here. Throughout history Cincinnati had prime examples of what was most modern at the time (Roebling Bridge, Carew, Terrace Plaza, the CAC, etc.) and we should embrace that progressive view of architectural design that makes up our history as a city.

 

Ingalls Building

What do you think

I like this one

What do you think

 

That's the kind of contemporary design Cincy needs more of.  I'm a touch worried that part of the problem the architects had is that they had to do a building that integrated into the rest of the banks - as a result that made the design of the hotel much lower quality.

I would like that one a lot more if they got rid of the awkward brick section forcing itself into the facade.

You know that Mercy Health building at Rookwood and 71? I heard a European contractor did that as a showcase of more European materials and design. I wonder if that group could do the AC? I don't know that you'd get a building similar to the ones in Spain without partnering with a company that actually does that kind of work?

There are a lot of firms that do that kind of work here (or, at least are capable) but there isn't quite as much demand for it. But I could see a handful of local architects doing a project "European" in style and it turning out quite nicely. Senhauser comes to mind as someone who has an eye for the cleanliness of a lot of European design.

Does anyone know if the floor currently being worked on at the GE building will be the top floor? It looks like the 11th story of the building, but it looks like there might be connections extending past the slabs being laid now, which would seem to indicate that more will be constructed above it, correct?

There's likely a parapet wall which could be what you're seeing. I thought it had reached its highest floor.

Banks' AC Hotel designers make some tweaks for design panel

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2015/05/20/banks-ac-hotel-designers-make-some-tweaks-for.html

Developer Winegardner & Hammons widened guest room windows so they are all 6 feet tall and 9 feet wide and added a 65 foot by 20 foot wall of windows above the hotel’s entrance, a 50 percent increase in the amount of glass, said Jeffrey Veigl, Winegardner’s director of architecture and design. Winegardner also added wrap-around glass balconies and wrap-around windows for the street-level retail spaces along with better signage for those businesses.

 

Here are the renderings before and after.

Better street level, still ugly. But AC is supposed to be a cheap brand, so that's probably as good as it's gonna get.

Banks' AC Hotel designers make some tweaks for design panel

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2015/05/20/banks-ac-hotel-designers-make-some-tweaks-for.html

Developer Winegardner & Hammons widened guest room windows so they are all 6 feet tall and 9 feet wide and added a 65 foot by 20 foot wall of windows above the hotel’s entrance, a 50 percent increase in the amount of glass, said Jeffrey Veigl, Winegardner’s director of architecture and design. Winegardner also added wrap-around glass balconies and wrap-around windows for the street-level retail spaces along with better signage for those businesses.

 

Here are the renderings before and after.

 

LOL, so they bleached it white? I'm not sure that will achieve the "edginess" the design board was looking for.

I like the white.

Man, the Banks just keeps getting worse and worse.

Honestly I think it's really misaligned at this point to make statements like that. Not only is the quality of that rendering horrendous, AC has shown that they bring with them decent design sense. This will likely follow the same trend.

 

Not only that, but Phase II is a significant improvement over Phase I. Not amazing, but not awful like Phase I was.

 

The Banks aren't architectural masterpieces, but everything that has been proposed/built since Phase I has been an improvement.

I hadn't noticed until today that the banks phase 2 and GE are connected on the first and second floors. any idea what that's about, and what (if anything) will do on the open air third floor space?

It will improve the consistency of the street level facade. The original plan was to build the apartments & a two story structure that covered the entire block with the office area ready for a user to be added on top (therefore preventing the giant gap phase 1 has. That wasn't needed as GE was eventually found before construction even began, still, it will be nice to have a consistent ground level

Better street level, still ugly. But AC is supposed to be a cheap brand, so that's probably as good as it's gonna get.

 

AC is not a cheap brand.  It is a more reasonable price point, but still stylish. Very much like aloft hotels.

Better street level, still ugly. But AC is supposed to be a cheap brand, so that's probably as good as it's gonna get.

 

AC is not a cheap brand.  It is a more reasonable price point, but still stylish. Very much like aloft hotels.

 

I agree with you that it's not cheap like a Motel 6. But Marriott itself does not classify this brand as full-service, like for instance their W brand that was pursued for this site previously.

Better street level, still ugly. But AC is supposed to be a cheap brand, so that's probably as good as it's gonna get.

 

AC is not a cheap brand.  It is a more reasonable price point, but still stylish. Very much like aloft hotels.

 

I agree with you that it's not cheap like a Motel 6. But Marriott itself does not classify this brand as full-service, like for instance their W brand that was pursued for this site previously.

 

Not sure that it needs to be though. I actually like bringing in AC more than a full service hotel in that spot. The comparison to aloft is right on (although I do prefer the aloft brand).

"Under the ideal scenario, Carter would be in a position to begin building the podium (at Lot 24, south of Freedom Way between Vine & Race) by January or February."

 

 

The Banks Steering Committee OKs third phase of development

Tatum Hunter - Cincinnati Business Courier

 

The Banks Steering Committee unanimously approved on Thursday the construction of a $29.3 million public parking garage as part of the mixed-use development project’s third phase.

 

The structure will contain 690 parking spaces and be located on the lot directly south of General Electric's U.S. Global Operations Center and a new apartment complex currently under construction.

 

Tax increment finance bonds from phases I and II of development will cover $22 million of the cost. The remaining $7 million comes from the state of Ohio.

 

Cont

 

 

Will next Banks phase include condos?

Bowdeya Tweh, [email protected]

 

It will take $29.3 million to build a garage and make other improvements to support the next phase of development at The Banks, officials overseeing progress at the riverfront site said Thursday.

 

But exactly what will go atop the garage in Phase IIIA remains unclear, including whether it will feature retail and what could be the 18-acre project's first condominiums.

 

Building a 690-space, two-level garage and completing utility improvements could yield 400,000 square feet of development on land called "Lot 24." The lot is located due south of buildings under construction for General Electric Co.'s offices, 291 one- and two-bedroom apartments and 19,000 square feet of retail space.

 

Cont

Great news, it seems the Banks is really starting to generate a lot of momentum.  Even just adding a bunch of apartments on that pad with retail on the bottom, maybe a floor or two of office space, etc., would work well there.

 

Does anyone know of a rendering of how this will play out with the Race Street Extension and the pad?  Will there be another pad directly south of this one for development, like where Moerlein Lager House is now?  Will it be a mirror image of the Eastern side?

 

Also I remember one of you saying that Race Street will end in a cul-de-sac?  Will there be pedestrian steps and fountains like on the other side?

 

Thanks!

There will eventually be another pad south of this one but it sounds like that lot (lot 23) will come later on. That spot has been shown at various points to house a lawn (similar to Schmidlap) with an out building like Moerlein but also at various points has been shown to be home to another full-block building. So I'm not sure there's a full plan yet but I think most renderings lead towards a performance lawn of some sort.

 

As for Race ending in a cul-de-sac, all recent plans show that being the case. This will lead into a pedestrian path of some sort that will lead to the southernmost edge of the upper tier and will connect to a stair at the corner of Mehring Way and Elm across from the bottom of Paul Brown Stadium.

 

 

I believe this is the most recent version of the park plan.

Honestly I think it's really misaligned at this point to make statements like that. Not only is the quality of that rendering horrendous, AC has shown that they bring with them decent design sense. This will likely follow the same trend.

 

Not only that, but Phase II is a significant improvement over Phase I. Not amazing, but not awful like Phase I was.

 

The Banks aren't architectural masterpieces, but everything that has been proposed/built since Phase I has been an improvement.

 

If you're okay with that hotel than fine but I'm pretty skeptical of it being any better than phase 1 based on those renderings, and the fact that the redesign was essentially just squishing the original concept a little bit makes me feel like this is another situation of the developers or architects just kind of laughing at the desires of the review boards. Just gotta say that all of that puts a bad taste in my mouth. It's that way with most of the development I see around here, and these boards seem to be easier to appease with this garbage. Sorry but I'm keeping my principals, and the more profit driven garbage that goes on down there, no matter how big or shiny, I find it difficult to support.

Crosspost from the Cincinnati Reds Discussion thread:

 

Reds seek new LED screen outside stadium

 

Honestly I think it's really misaligned at this point to make statements like that. Not only is the quality of that rendering horrendous, AC has shown that they bring with them decent design sense. This will likely follow the same trend.

 

Not only that, but Phase II is a significant improvement over Phase I. Not amazing, but not awful like Phase I was.

 

The Banks aren't architectural masterpieces, but everything that has been proposed/built since Phase I has been an improvement.

 

If you're okay with that hotel than fine but I'm pretty skeptical of it being any better than phase 1 based on those renderings, and the fact that the redesign was essentially just squishing the original concept a little bit makes me feel like this is another situation of the developers or architects just kind of laughing at the desires of the review boards. Just gotta say that all of that puts a bad taste in my mouth. It's that way with most of the development I see around here, and these boards seem to be easier to appease with this garbage. Sorry but I'm keeping my principals, and the more profit driven garbage that goes on down there, no matter how big or shiny, I find it difficult to support.

 

You're misunderstanding me. It's misaligned because all we have a textureless, detailless sketchup rendering. No building looks good in that format. And it didn't get squished, those original renderings were stretched awkwardly.

 

AC Hotels build decent to great buildings. I had trouble finding a single example of a building that was just bad that was an AC. Some weren't as nice as others, but none were offensive like Phase I of The Banks.

 

Giving it time so we actually know what the building will look like is wise.

The Banks is in final negotiations for a user of the mirror lot to Yard House.  We could know who it is between 2 and 6 weeks from now.

Crosspost from the Cincinnati Reds Discussion thread:

 

Reds seek new LED screen outside stadium

 

 

That could be awesome business for the Bars down there.  If people want to go watch the game but not pay for the tickets, they can still booze on the streets and watch, assuming the Open Container District opens at this location which is kind of a no brainer.

Crosspost from the Cincinnati Reds Discussion thread:

 

Reds seek new LED screen outside stadium

 

 

That'd be directly across the street from the AC Hotel video board.

 

 

It'll start looking like a mini-mini times square with all these led boards.

I hope they keep up with these LED boards down there.  I think it'll really activate the space.  Cincinnati's needs a tacky, fun, 24/7 mess of an enclave and The Banks prime location and awful architecture makes it the perfect candidate.  I've always kind of thought that Fountain Square would be that place, but it's really not large enough, has some beautiful buildings around it that would be a shame to cover, and is actually really nice as simply the city's living room.

From May 9:

 

 

This is where the festivals should be hosted.  It's so obvious.

I forgot to post about that. Went to taste for first time this year and it was so packed and crowded. I really do feel the wide streets at the banks, and the performance spaces and lawns of smale would be way better.

So could something bigger be built on the short section eventually?

 

They always planned on putting something shorter there so it wouldn't block the views of the people in The Banks apartments. Originally this was going to be townhomes, but that got scrapped in favor of making it part of the hotel.

 

Now we can all start speculating about when something will be built on the office tower pad at The Banks. I predict they will build a spec Class A office tower without a specific tenant in mind -- otherwise, they will lose the development rights. And, due to the recent incident, they know there is at least some possibility that they could be replaced by another developer.

 

Bowdeya Tweh of the Enquirer is reporting on Twitter that the developers plan to build a spec office building on the final unused space at Phase 1 of The Banks.

So could something bigger be built on the short section eventually?

 

They always planned on putting something shorter there so it wouldn't block the views of the people in The Banks apartments. Originally this was going to be townhomes, but that got scrapped in favor of making it part of the hotel.

 

Now we can all start speculating about when something will be built on the office tower pad at The Banks. I predict they will build a spec Class A office tower without a specific tenant in mind -- otherwise, they will lose the development rights. And, due to the recent incident, they know there is at least some possibility that they could be replaced by another developer.

 

Bowdeya Tweh of the Enquirer is reporting on Twitter that the developers plan to build a spec office building on the final unused space at Phase 1 of The Banks.

 

Now he's saying that it depends on the lending markets and that they are still looking for anchor tenant.

He is also reporting that Two Bits is expected to open in August. I find it amazing that this space will be under construction during the MLB All-Star game.

I would love them to scrap the office building and build a 50 story tower somewhere else in downtown.

I wouldn't. Spreading uses around is super important to creating 24/7 activity, especially in a place like The Banks. Office users occupy during the day, residents during the evenings. Separation of uses is a huge part of why suburbia is often so sterile even when it's dense suburbia and The Banks needs to make sure it doesn't just become a dense bedroom neighborhood of Downtown.

Another "@' name....

 

New name, new manager for latest apartment project at Banks

Jun 12, 2015, 10:54am EDT 

Andy Brownfield 

Cincinnati Business Courier

 

The apartments under construction at the Banks have been given a name appropriate to their location, and people will soon be able to start pre-leasing to live there.

 

The apartments are named Radius for their proximity to Cincinnati's urban core, and pre-leasing will begin in August, the master development team of Carter and Nicol Investment Co. announced Friday.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2015/06/12/new-name-new-manager-for-latest-apartment-project.html

With the exception of the map, it's only ever referred to as just "Radius." No "@" anywhere in that announcement.

The top of the GE building is about to be poured. I went onto the job site for work and took a couple pictures.

 

 

Thanks!  Those new vistas are awesome.  The Banks and Smale are really giving us a new look at our city.

Does anyone else just love the Mr. Red hat/mustache on 312 Walnut?  I do.

 

Polly Campbell: Santo Graal doesn't freshen mix at The Banks

Yet another cheesy establishment at The Banks Phase 1.

Does anyone else just love the Mr. Red hat/mustache on 312 Walnut?  I do.

 

 

yes

 

Does anyone else just love the Mr. Red hat/mustache on 312 Walnut?  I do.

 

 

yes

 

 

I feel like I'm the only person who finds it awful. It's the architectural equivalent of a face tattoo.

But it's just a temporary face tattoo.  All in good fun!  I love it.